


The Aftermath

by I_rely_on_you



Category: Fate: The Winx Saga (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fate Chat is responsible for this!, Fluff, Nightmares, Soul Bond, promt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:33:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29989131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_rely_on_you/pseuds/I_rely_on_you
Summary: Saul breaks out of prison to find Farah.I know I suck at summaries Shhhhh
Relationships: Farah Dowling/Saul Silva
Comments: 42
Kudos: 104





	1. Do not fear to stumble in the dark for I will catch you if you fall

**Author's Note:**

  * For [denisiya](https://archiveofourown.org/users/denisiya/gifts).



> This promt was created by Denisiya on our Fate Discord and I kinda had to jump on this so I wrote this instead of sleeping again... Bye  
> As usual Fate doesn't belong to me... not even this idea is mine...
> 
> Sorry if it sucks but this is for u Deni ♥️

He didn’t remember how he had gotten out. Not fully anyways. One moment the guard had been by his cell to give him his daily rations and the next the poor sod had gotten distracted by something going on a few cells further up the corridor and had left his cell only partially locked. The key not exactly dangling off the lock anymore but he had only turned it once in his haste to go see what the commotion was all about. 

Only turned once meant it was easier to pull the door away from its intended resting place within the doorframe. The door latch disengaged rather easily. They really needed to upgrade these prison cells mused Saul as he was making his way down the long winding corridors of the jail. 

He didn’t know if it was luck that had made him slip unnoticed through the corridors but he didn’t care. At this moment he was fuelled by adrenaline rushing through his veins and the never ending throb of something missing within his chest. Ever since he had been brought here his bond with Farah had been dulled. Like a thick fog had settled around it and he couldn’t find its light anymore. The light that had guided him through the last 30 years of his life. 

It had been days since he had felt any sort of resonance from her. It made him fear the worst. He had never felt like this. This emptiness. He felt like the ghost of the man he once was. A hollowed out shell of his former self. Without her presence within the confines of his chest he didn’t know how to function anymore. 

It had started three nights ago when he had felt a stabbing pain in his heart shortly after having been imprisoned. At first he had thought he had been poisoned. But soon his perspective had shifted. Far away from his cell and back to Alfea. He could feel her. She was in pain and he could feel it in his soul how much she was hurting. And suddenly she grew cold. So cold. He didn’t know what it meant. He had never felt such ice cold silence between them. The shift so drastic it made all the muscles in his body constrict. 

Ever since that night he had known something must’ve gone terribly wrong. And he needed to find a way out of this prison. He needed to find his way back to her and fast, for he didn’t know how long she could hold on. Their bond getting weaker and weaker with each day passing. 

Suddenly he found himself by the kitchens. It was late afternoon so it wasn’t very busy since lunch time had already passed. Looking around the corner leading to the upper levels and the centre of the city Saul decided it would be best to leave through the servants tunnel system connecting the prison in its entirety and parts of the old palace nearby. He would not be detected as easily and he did know his way around the tunnels. The only good that had come of all of Luna’s terrible missions of catching felons through the years. It had been a tiring job. But one he had been forced to do to keep the peace between Luna and Alfea. And he couldn’t have risked getting on Luna’s bad side considering the cover up she had fed the public about Aster Dell. 

Grabbing a few bundled up rations and a warm coat from one of the hangers in the servants sitting rooms he pulled the too big garment over his shoulders and made for the door. Slipping through the passageway leading to the underground tunnel the soldier made his way deeper and deeper into the maze that was his only way out. But he had been here before on dozens of occasions to know his way around the layout of the old pathways. 

His feet carried him deeper into the cold cobble stoned channels until he knew he had crossed the border to the city above. Finding his way to the surface again he stuck out his head through an opening in one of the long abandoned exit shafts he climbed out. Fresh, cold air hitting his face he noticed how late it had already gotten. He must’ve been walking for hours. He hadn’t felt the time passing while underground. Not being able to see the sky could do that to a person he mused. 

He could see the light of the city behind him, the great castle towering in the distance. Turning back around the specialist could see that he had already gotten past the border by quite a few miles. The queens forest lay ahead of him. It’s dark and looming trees swaying in the cold breeze. 

Maybe it wasn’t such a great idea to venture out into the night like this, unarmed and unprotected. He knew these forests and knew of their dangers. He had been stumbling through the foliage many a time in the past. But never alone. He had soldiers with him. And his fairy. 

This brought him back to her. Their bond still cold and inactive. He felt how weak she was. But that was about everything he could feel. She felt weaker than he had ever felt her before. This had nothing on the times she had been hurt in battle. Or when that Burned One had taken her down a few years before the war had ended. He had thought he had lost her back then. But even then with her leg ripped open, blood seeping into the cold ground, she had kept on fighting. Had kept on killing. Had kept on protecting him all the while biting through her pain like it was nothing. She had the highest tolerance for pain he had ever seen in a person and it made him fear for her even more now, knowing how much pain she had been in a few days ago. 

Looking northward he could see the old ruins of the watch tower on the far side of the city limits. It had long been dismantled and its parts melted down and used for the queens army but its frame still intact. 

Walking into the direction of the old brick building he noticed the boarded up entrance. This door would lead him deep underground and into the direction of the school. He could follow the passage for miles and stay undetected in the long abandoned channels once used for smuggling civilians to safety. These structures were long past their prime but they were stable enough to guide him home safely. And the queen wouldn’t come looking for him here he knew. She despised the old ruins. She despised anything that reminded her of times long past. Relics of another reign that wasn’t her own. She hated it. 

Bringing his hands up to grasp the old wooden planks he began to tear them down one by one until he could open the door and slip into the building smelling of stale air and long lost purpose. There was barely any light to guide him. The only light source being cracks in the foundation letting moonlight filter in. Feeling his way along the walls of the winding staircase he made his way down into the darkness. He hadn’t been to these tunnels before but he knew the layout of them. Had studied them for years during his fighting days. Who would’ve known his memory would serve after all these years laying dormant with these informations. Feeling for the cobble stone to his right he felt himself step down one last time at the bottom of the staircase. Looking into the direction he knew he would have to go he began walking. The echo of his steps his only companion. 

The darkness made his focus on his other senses sharpen. His hearing guided him knowing there was vast empty space in front of him. His hand sliding along the wall letting him know he wasn’t leaving his path. His nose was telling him that the ground beneath him was dry and clear. These tunnels had been abandoned so long ago anything still down here would have rotten away already. 

He must’ve been walking for a while because his legs began to feel the strain of strutting on for miles after being inactive for so many days locked in his cell. Suddenly there was light coming from around a bend far ahead he hadn’t noticed before. His vision coming back to him slowly he came to a sudden halt. Grasping the wall for support he waited for his sight to clear before cautiously continuing at a more sedate pace. The light was very dim and of a flickering quality. No more than a single lamplight or torch if he had to guess. 

Sneaking closer to the light source he neared the bend and pressed his back close to the wall. Sinking into a crouch he leaned his head to the side and tried to look around the corner slowly. 

He had been right with his guess that it had been only a small light source. A tiny kerosene lamp was sitting on the ground of the long and never ending tunnel ahead of him. A person was standing only a few feet behind it. Their form was turned away from him but he could see that they were bent over slightly holding one hand to their forehead and one hand on their hip, the pose striking him oddly familiar. 

Slinking back behind the bend Saul thought for a moment. He couldn’t go back. He had to go through this tunnel. It was leading directly into the direction of the college. But he didn’t want to kill this person. For all he knew they were an innocent loiterer seeking a dry place to rest for the night. But he had to get past them.

Formulating a plan in his head the headmaster stood up from his crouch and rounded the corner slowly but surely. He was still a good few paces away when the person noticed him. Their back going ramrod straight with tension. 

Feeling his adrenaline spiking again he continued to walk towards the figure slowly and carefully as not to spook them. 

But they chose that moment to turn around and suddenly his breath was knocked from his lungs and his feet stopped on the spot. 

Right there in front of him stood the one person he had been thinking of all along. 

Farah was clad in the same clothes he had seen her in the day he had been arrested. But they were dirty and caked with mud. Her body was bent in on itself as if she was trying not to falter under her own weight. Her hair was hanging loose around her shoulders instead of up in one of her intricate up-dos. She looked terrible. 

She was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. 

Dropping his rigid stance he ran the few steps separating them and gathered her in his arms. Holding onto her like his life depended on it he felt the woman sag into his arms like he was the only thing keeping her upright. Her fingers dug into the back of his coat her nails scraping across the fabric bunching it up in her fists. 

He felt soil under his fingers when he grasped onto her frail frame with both of his arms. 

Letting out a puff of air he breathed her in. The smell of earth and dirt and morass clinging to her every pore but there was still her unique scent lingering he would recognise anywhere. She was still here. 

And suddenly he was feeling so many things at once. His nerve endings flooded with stimuli he grasped onto her tighter feeling their bond come alive again. It was simmering and singing beneath his fingers rubbing circles into her back. Their connection burst with energy and light he could feel her come alive under his fingertips with every gentle stroke. And then she began crying. Her cries turning into heart wrenching sobs when the relief hit her. Just as it did him. 

Pulling away from her slightly he encircled her face with his hands delicately looking into her eyes trying to figure out if she’d been hurt or if she was in need of medical attention. But she knew what he was thinking and shook her head. 

Wiping his thumbs across her cheeks tenderly he cleared the dirt off her face as well as he could. The tears were making their way down her delicate features anyway, taking mud with them along the way. Her tear tracks began to form rivulets and he wiped them away as softly as he could, never losing touch with her face once. 

Shushing her cries softly he dropped his mouth to her forehead and left a trail of kisses along her skin. She tasted of leaves and forest and he could feel the soil cling to his wet lips but he couldn’t care less. He had her back in his arms. 

When he felt her own hand touch his cheek he noticed for the first time that he was crying too. The realisation brought with it a sob clawing it’s way from his chest so quickly he couldn’t have stopped it if he tried. His sobs were raw and unchecked as they echoed between them. The sound so pained it had new tears form in the fairies eyes. 

Dropping her forehead to his they began to quiet down slowly. Breathing each other in. Their breaths passing from one mouth to the other in perfect synchrony. Ragged lungfuls of air passing and all. 

Pulling away again he framed her face anew and looked at her with such an intensity it made her heart speed up a little at the sight. The love and wonder in his eyes making it seem like he still couldn’t really believe she was here. Right now. In this moment. With him. That they had found each other in all of this and had found their way back to each other. 

“I thought you were dead.”, his voice sounded foreign to his own ears but he plowed on. “I thought you were dead you were so cold.” 

Shaking her head the fairy closed her eyes and leaned against him more fully now. The energy having kept her going waning quickly. Soon she began to shake in his arms. 

Pulling away from her, fear gripped at his heart with a strong fist, he shrugged out of his coat quickly. Putting it around her shaking shoulders he bundled her up as best as he could. His hands began to rub up and down her arms to generate heat. Stepping closer he noticed her energy fading fast. Her legs gave out soon after and he pulled her to the wall closest to them and sat down with her between his legs. Pulling her to him he kept on rubbing her arms and back and bracketed her between his bent knees. 

One of her hands found it’s way out of the jacket and grasped onto the knee closest to her with such a strong grip he was sure her nails would leave marks even through the material of his trousers. 

He banded her to his chest with strong arms and felt her take in shallow breaths. Soothing her with his nose buried in her dirty locks he whispered sweet nothings in her ear, dropping kisses here and there as he went. And soon the headmistress went still in his arms, finally falling asleep. 

They could talk in the morning. There was no rush. He wanted her to gather her strength and some sleep would be beneficial for the both of them but for now he felt content to have her back in his arms. Where she belonged, safe and sound. 

He wouldn’t let go of her any time soon that much was for certain. 

TBC 

Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a comment and tell me what you think. Kudos would be greatly appreciated too of course♥️


	2. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coming to the fairy and her specialist have to come up with a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyy sorry it took me so long to update! I hope u enjoy ☺️  
> This is a lot fluffier than the first chapter and hopefully makes up for the weird and stocky introduction into this story 🙈

As he sat there listening to the woman sleeping in his arms breathe, Sauls thoughts began to wander. His brain was alight with activity, the last hours just now catching up to his tired mind. Yes he was exhausted but nothing in this world could make him fall asleep now. Fear still coursed through his body chilling him to the bone. 

How was this possible? Where had she come from and how had she gotten into to these tunnels of all places. Maybe their bond had guided her here to meet him. But it hadn’t been this active in days and he would’ve noticed a shift. Maybe she was just more attuned to more subtle changes that he couldn’t feel. He was no mind fairy after all. Maybe it was luck but he had long given up on that belief. 

It wasn’t luck that had brought them together and it certainly wasn’t what had them endure all these years together either. 

Looking down at the fairy in his arms he gripped the edges of the jacket tighter around her, but did so carefully as not to wake her. Gods know how long it had been since she had been able to close her eyes and rest for a minute. He didn’t want to imagine what must’ve happened. What terrible events had led her to seek refuge in these tunnels and left her in such a state of disarray. 

He could still make out flecks of dirt on her face and her hair looked like she had been swept up by a mudslide. Clumps of soil were still tangled in her golden brown strands. The tousled mess hanging down her shoulders limply. Her usually beautifully made up hair looked knotty and matted. 

Her cheeks looked a little hollow and the dark half moons underneath her eyes made her look more tired than he felt. Her usually sun kissed skin looked pale and had an almost ill looking tinge to it. What in the Otherworld had happened to her. 

From what he had gathered from her appearance he could tell she was still wearing the same clothes as she had been the day he had last seen her. Which was strange seeing as she was as meticulous about her outfits as she was about her hair. The once white turtleneck was filthy and her blue pants were caked with mud and dried up sand. 

Feeling her shiver in her sleep he huddled down a little further to swallow her up with his body more fully. He wanted to give her as much of his body heat as possible. His form was practically enclosing hers and pressing her more firmly to his front. His legs came around her more snugly boxing her in. His warm breath gusted across the top of her head as her cheek settled on his chest just beneath his neck. 

He began to card his hands through her twisted locks and carefully shook the soil enmeshed in it out with each stroke he made. It was slow progress as he was trying to detangle her hair without waking her but it worked. He didn’t know how long he sat there brushing through her dirty locks with his fingers but it was a soothing act and he lost track of time at some point, almost lulled to sleep by the repetitive movement. When he felt as though it was as untangled and clean as he could get it at the moment he swept it over her shoulders and onto her back where it wouldn’t bother her in her sleep. 

Revelling in the movement of the side of her ribcage pressing into his stomach with each breath she took he breathed her in slowly. 

Reaching for the kerosene lamp he dimmed the light to a low flickering before settling his arm back around Farah’s back. Slowly closing his eyes he listened to her quiet breathing. Their soft intakes and exhales of air the only sound in the abandoned tunnels. 

His hand found its way to the side of her head again where he cradled her too him once more. He needed to feel her as close as possible, it was as if he couldn’t bear to lose touch with her for more than a few seconds. 

The soldier in him couldn’t leave his eyes closed for very long and looked up after a short while. The walls of cobble stone to his right and to his left seemed to go on forever. He could not see very far ahead for the light of the lamp wasn’t strong enough but he would hear if anything were to approach them from either side. It was a shame he wasn’t armed he thought. He would feel much better with the familiar weight of a sword or at least a dagger by his side to defend them. Even so it would be highly unlikely for anything to be down here with them. These pathways have been cleared years ago, he was with Luna’s troops when they did it. Thinking about those days had the man dwell on times long past. Their time on the force. The time after. He had been fortunate enough to have Ben and Farah at his side. He didn’t think he could have shouldered the burden of their trauma alone. But having had his fairy to lean on was his touchstone. This pillar of strength inward and out had saved him from losing his head on more than one occasion. It was true, he was the hot head of the both of them. But she balanced him out so well one couldn’t go on without the other without keeling over at some point. She was the one who retreated back into herself to deal with stress and anxiety and it had always been him pulling her out of her own mind when that happened. It had always been like that. It was easy for them both to rely on the other. They just worked. 

Despite his efforts to stay awake, the comfortable weight on his chest combined with her even breathing had him lulled into a sort of exhausted slumber. 

He didn’t know for how long he had dozed off but the next thing he knew was seeing Farah at the bottom of a steep hill, just standing there. Her hair flowing in the mild breeze. Suddenly she looked up at him, a soft smile gracing her beautiful features. He made to go to her but his legs wouldn’t move one inch. A sudden rumble had him look up only to discover that there was a landslide coming downhill and his fairy was in a direct path of the skidding landmass. 

And then he saw it. At the top of the small mountain stood Rosalind. The fairy’s eyes alight with magic as she was leading the sliding earth downwards. sliding earth downwards with smooth movements of her dominant hand. 

With terror in his eyes he turned back to Farah still smiling at him. But then her face shifted into an expression of dread. Her mouth turned into a frown as she began to speak softly. Her voice laden with disappointment, her eyes taking on a sorrowful look. “Why didn’t you save me Saul?”, whispered the mind fairy sadly. “Why didn’t you come for me?”, her voice so clear over the rumbling of stone and the sliding of mud off of the mountains edge. He wanted to yell, to tell her he would move heaven and earth to get to her but his lips were like sown shut and his legs were bound to the earth by invisible shackles. He couldn’t move from his spot only a few feet away from her. 

And the last he saw of her were her soulful brown eyes looking at him with such sadness in them he could barely breathe. And then she was swept away and buried under the earth, her cries for help the last thing he heard before startling awake.

A shout dying on his lips he rocked forward and clutched the bundle in his arms to him frantically. The woman encased in the warm jacket bolted awake with the movement and turned towards the specialist on instinct. Clutching at his neck with one hand her mouth found the side of his head to whisper to him soothingly. “It’s okay, it’s over. It’s alright, Saul. We’re okay.” Her voice fell like gossamer against his cheek and he grabbed onto her form with a force he would’ve liked to avoid under any different circumstances in fear of hurting her. But right now her hand touching his skin and her body folded into his was the only think keeping him from losing his mind. 

The headmaster hadn’t thought it possible to love this woman even more but here she was consoling him post nightmare after having just escaped something horrible and traumatic herself. 

His haggard breath moved her flowing hair laying in tangles on her back as he fisted the material of the coat to him more harshly now. 

Her upper body had twisted out of the jacket to be able to hug him to her properly. Her hand began to rub at the side of his face in a gentle and reassuring manner. Loosening his grip on the coat he slipped his hand from the fabric to the back of her head holding her face to his with a trembling touch. Turning his head a little to be able to murmur into her ear gently he whispered “I lost you.”, his voice breaking off on the last syllable. Her face rubbed against his stubbled cheek as she shook her head. “No you didn’t, Saul. I’m right here.” Her voice was so soft against the shell of his ear it felt like a gentle breeze caressing his skin. Her deep voice, unused from not having talked in a while rumbled through her throat and he could feel the vibrations on his skin. Splaying his fingers on the back of her head and pulling her closer to him he almost sobbed in relief upon hearing those words. Taking one big lungful of air he pulled away from the fairy enough to grasp her face with both of his hands, loosening their embrace in the process. Touching his forehead to her he mumbled “I’m sorry I startled you.”, but she just shook her head dislodging their contact only briefly before settling her skin against his once again. “Don’t be.” 

Sitting there with closed eyes they allowed their hearts to fall into a content rhythm again, his fingers rubbing over the skin of the side of her face carefully as they went carding through her hair. 

Gathering all his willpower to broach the subject he had been dreading he began to talk. His tone quiet and soft. “What happened Farah? After I was taken?” 

Taking in a deep breath herself and letting it out in a shudder the headmistress recounted the event that led her here. 

“After I had buried the bodies of the Burned Ones I stayed at the old cemetery a little while longer. I don’t know why but I guess I just wanted the quiet to myself to think for a minute.” Nodding Saul trailed his fingers along her cheeks tenderly. He could understand her need for wanting a moment to herself. She didn’t get a lot of those with her job and her responsibility and it was a rare occurrence for her to be able to catch a breather especially with everything that had been going on at the school recently. Clearing her throat softly the fairy continued. “I had just finished putting them to rest when I could feel her come up behind me. Practically called me weak for giving them a proper burial.”, scoffing she went on. “Nothing about her has changed Saul. She is still the same egoistical monster she was 16 years ago.” The thought of that woman back at Alfea had her shudder slightly in his hold. Sliding one hand to pull the jacket back over her shoulders he tried to keep her warm despite knowing her shudder didn’t stem from the cold but rather from the thought of their former mentor tormenting their students like she had once tormented them. Pushing the fear aside he pressed on. “What happened then Farah?” This made the woman in his arms hum in discontent. He knew he wouldn’t like what would be coming out of her mouth next. 

“I felt her magic rippling behind my back. I had only mere seconds to formulate a plan before she tried to kill me.” 

At the admission his legs encasing her began to tremble with barely contained rage as he tensed. His whole body going taut with tension. The fingers rubbing her cheeks stopped their movement and he breathed out one heavy breath before saying, “I am going to kill her.” His voice seething with anger she had hardly ever heard coming from him before in all the years working with him, fighting alongside him. Not like this. 

Shushing him gently she laid a hand on his face and made him look at her, pulling his face away from hers for a moment. Looking deep into his eyes she could see the fury simmering in them. But also a deep-set swirl of emotions she could place very well. They were mirrored in her own eyes. Trying to at least address the worry in his grey orbs she mumbled, “I managed to anchor my magic to the earth beneath me and called for it after she buried me to make it look like I was one of the Burned Ones.” She wanted to leave out the part how exactly Rosalind had tried to kill her but of course with Saul she wasn’t that lucky. Pushing a hand past the coat he took hold of the collar of her turtleneck with two fingers and pulled it down unceremoniously, revealing dark blue bruises on her neck. She let her head fall forward a bit dejectedly before snapping it back up again to give him a wry half-smile. Nothing escaped this man it seemed. 

“She tried to break my neck and my mirage of light magic only covered for the movement not the pain. I had to make it look real. I still felt it, it just wasn’t as fatal as she had hoped.” Giving her a grim look the man grasped onto the neckline of the jumper with both hands now to pull it down further to assess the damage. Craning his neck a little to look around her throat he separated the garment from her skin carefully and examined the contusions littering her skin with a critical eye. He barely touched her in fear of hurting her but she laid her hands on both of his and lead them up to cover her bruises carefully. Her touch was sure and allowed no doubt about wether he was allowed to touch her or not. He would always be allowed to lay his hands on her in any situation. She wanted to make this unmistakably clear. Fixing her with a laden look he pulled her forward a little to touch his lips to her forehead before sliding down to press gentle kisses into her cheeks. It wasn’t luck that has spared her life but rather her quick thinking and the skilful way she wielded the other elements and he had never been more grateful for her intelligence as he was in that moment. His breath tickled along her lips as he whispered “Thank the gods.” This made the fairy smile. He had never been a religious man but his faith seemed to reach out to the deities the moment something happened to her. She had once even seen him praying at her bedside after a mission turned sour and left her badly injured and tied to a bed for two weeks. The first night was the hardest on him she had felt it. She had felt all of it. 

Just like she could feel his swirling thoughts and emotions right now. The most prominent one still being his fear to lose her. In an attempt to soothe his worries she reached out with her still weakened mind to touch his. Her powers were still frazzled and not at all what they used to be but she could give him this. However upon reaching him he shook her gently and moved his mouth to rest by her ear. Their cheeks touching he mumbled just one word. “Don’t.” Before kissing the shell of her ear tenderly. Of course he had anticipated what she had tried to do, she should’ve known. Pulling away from her again he looked into her eyes once more. She didn’t know what he was thinking but she knew it had to do with her. “We need to stop her. Again. But this time for good.” His voice belied his anxiety. This was the soldier she knew. The specialist she loved. His razor sharp focus managed to see passed his own doubt and insecurities to put focus on the mission at hand. 

Suddenly his brows furrowed as if he had just remembered something incredibly important. “How did you get down here?” His incredulous tone made her chuckle softly. The sound made his toes tingle with pleasure. He loved hearing that sound. Like he just asked something very foolish. Gathering her thoughts from last night she smiled and said “It was Bloom and Musa who found me. They alerted their friends and had gotten Ben to help them get me out of the ground. I was still dazed by the time they unearthed me but my first request was to get me away from school grounds in fear of Rosalind finding out and hurting the children. I couldn’t bear that. So they took me here.” The headmistress thought for a moment before continuing with a thoughtful expression still lingering on her face. “I remembered you talking about these tunnels back when Luna requested your assistance in shutting them down. I don’t know why this place was the first thing that came to mind though.” 

Now it was his turn to smile at her. “I think I can help with that.” Looking up at him she regarded him with interest which made Saul launch into his explanation. “Upon escaping the solarian prison I fled into the tunnels connecting the jail and the castle grounds. After I had made it out of there and past city limits I knew the forests were too dangerous to escape through at night so I opted for these tunnels instead. I know my way around well enough even without light so it was the most logical choice.” Nodding the fairy saw his point. Even though it had been a risky move, it had probably been the smartest in his position. 

Another thought came to mind at that moment and had Farah sit up a little. “How long have I been asleep?” They had no means to measure the time as he didn’t have his watch and she never wore one. They couldn’t even tell if it was daytime or nighttime because they had been underground for too long, so they really had no way to tell the time. Scrubbing one of his hands across his face the specialist thought about it for a second before saying, “A few hours maybe. You fell asleep pretty quickly and I stayed up for a few hours to keep watch but I must’ve fallen asleep at some point as well.” Humming in reply the mind fairy looked around them briefly, her eyes setting on the kerosene lamp still flickering beside them on the ground. They really must be making a pitiful sight she mused. All huddled together, the faintest of lights surrounding them on the cold hard ground. Taking a peek at her appearance for the first time she cringed at her sullied top and trousers she was wearing. Seeing this the soldier holding her let out a bark of laughter at her disgusted face. Looking up at him in dismay she fixed him with an unimpressed look but he just smiled down at her. “This must be the least put together I have ever seen you since you fell into that mud hole our first year.” Groaning the fairy didn’t dispute his comment. He had a point there. Sighing she conceded by saying “Yes well, time was of the essence. There wasn’t exactly time to grab a change of clothes.” 

He knew she hated this. Her well put together persona was her way of armour to shield herself from the world. Her meticulously arranged outfits were her way of braving the storm each day. He couldn’t begrudge her this feeling of dissonance with herself. 

As if muttering to herself she added “I would’ve also greatly appreciated if there had been time to grab something from the canteen. I’m famished. Apparently faking your own death is quite the energy drainer. Who would’ve thought.” Her try of adding some levity to the situation wasn’t lost on him despite his still aching heart at the thought of her going through that. Chuckling a little he felt his hand down the side of the jacket before sliding into the pocket to grope at the contents a little. The fairy’s gaze followed his movements with interest and her eyes began to sparkle like diamonds upon seeing what he managed to procure from the depths of the coat she was wearing. “Saul Silva, if I didn’t love you already...” trailing off the woman teared into the wrapper of the meagre prison rations with gusto. Sitting there very pleased with himself the soldier mused “If I had known it only took a dried up sandwich and some granola bars to get you to say it I would’ve gotten imprisoned decades ago.” He said this with a blissful smile on his face as the woman in the circle of his loose embrace looked up from her meal, meeting his waiting gaze. Her eyes turned soft and fixed his with an affectionate expression. Wiping her mouth clean of invisible crumbs she grabbed the side of his face in a tender grasp and pulled his head down to seal her lips over his. The kiss was chaste but not lacking intensity. It ended as quickly as it had begun as she pulled away from his smiling lips. She didn’t go far, her neck still stretched she whispered fervently “I do love you. You must know that.” Her breath ghosted across his lips like a promise for more. The words were a statement, not a question and it had him soak up her devotion unashamedly. 

Bending down for one last loving peck he pulled away again and stared at her with a fondness only rivalled by her own before saying, “Indeed I do.” Her smile could light up a room and he suddenly found he didn’t need the flimsy lamp at their side to guide his way out of these tunnels. He had _her_. That was enough for an eternity of darkness. 

Turning back to her sandwich happily the headmistress continued eating with fervour only to let out an almost sinful groan at him pulling the second bundle of rations out of the jacket. Laughing out loud at this Saul threw his head back cackling, mirth clear on his face. 

Unwrapping one of the energy bars the soldier took a bite while watching his fairy devour the two sandwiches in rapid succession. Smiling brightly he was secretly pleased by her appetite and gestured for her to eat the second bar as well. She managed to demolish it in two bites, never even once looking anything but graceful. It astounded him each and every time how perfectly poised she could look doing the most mundane task such as devouring a meal. She should not have the right to look almost angelic doing it though, thought the soldier bemused. 

After she finished and stuffed the wrappings back into the pocket he asked, “Better?” His tone was fond despite his lingering smirk. 

The smile never leaving her face she threw him a dirty look and cuffed him in the arm gently before nodding. 

Looking to the side and into the deep darkness lingering all around them the headmaster wondered “Now the only thing we need is an idea where to go from here.” Not exactly dropping the smile but turning more pensive nonetheless the fairy nodded. “We can’t go back to the school yet. I am still too weak and without my powers back to full potential we wouldn’t stand a chance at taking on Rosalind. I don’t know how long she was able to feed on the stone circle but it was enough to get her going again.” Her unease let the specialist drop his head dejectedly. They needed to hide and formulate a plan before being able to get the school back. Looking back up at her Saul pondered his options for a moment. “I can get us back out of here but we need a place to lay low for a while at least. There is a target on our backs and once we set foot outside we need to go into hiding and fast.” 

Farah mulled this over for a second before an idea popped into her head. 

“Do you still own that piece of land up north?” 

Startled at the idea the soldier perked up instantly. “My dads old hunting cabin. Yeah.” Beaming back up at him the woman’s face brightened considerably. 

They had a plan. And they knew they could make it. 

And from there they could see about getting Alfea back. 

They could make it work they knew. 

They had found each other after all. 

The rest would be the easy part.

TBC

You want me to continue on with this? Please leave a comment and tell me what you think. Kudos is also greatly appreciated 🥰


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